The Fallen Heroes
by JoshMCo
Summary: The final days of the Order are upon us. Every day, people are falling on both sides. Every day people are dying for the war that is getting increasingly tragic and bloody. There is nothing that both sides won't do to win. Heroes are dying every day, with nothing being done to stop the innocent from being hurt. The more fall, the more people are hurt. As heroes fall, the war turns.
1. Marlene McKinnon: Love In Death

Marlene McKinnon hadn't been scheduled to stop by her parents home, but she ended up there anyway. Her day was already packed meetings, the raiding kind, but her mum had practically begged her to come grab a package for Marlene's superior at the office. A simple task, really, and one she normally wouldn't have minded. But that day was one from hell. She woke up late, typical, spilled her coffee down the front of her robes, even more typical, and to top it off she was out of smokes. That was why when she barreled through the foyer of her childhood home her normal smile was replaced by a dark scowl. "Mum," she called, shrugging out of her cloak. "Ang? Dad?" Walden Macnair stepped out from the threshold. He smirked at her, triumphant. The great Marlene McKinnon was going to be killed because of sentiment.  
"They're dead." He said, smiling evilly. He looked at her, standing opposite her. "They're dead, McKinnon and soon... So shall you be." He said and looked up the stairs. "They're up there." He looked back at her "They were stronger than I expected... If you hadn't come back here, I might never have got you." He said, smirking again. "But you couldn't stay away, could you? Love is a weakness... You've demonstrated that." Marlene had enough sense _not_ to show emotion at his words, because that's what they were, right? Empty words. She raised her chin almost defiantly, even if the defiance didn't quite reach her blue eyes.  
"Macnair," she spat, and luckily the doubt in her mind didn't reach her voice. She didn't follow his gaze, she wasn't suicidal, not intentionally. "It seems the one who couldn't stay away in this scenario is you." All too vividly, she was aware of her wand in her boot, not in her hand. If Airius knew she hadn't been carrying it on- No, she wouldn't think of him now, _couldn't_ think of him now, not with death staring her in the face. "Was it my wit or charm? I've found those are my shining qualities." Macnair laughed humourlessly.  
"Neither. It was the fact you're the enemy." He looked at her, insanity and hatred shining in his eyes. "Your parents are dead, McKinnon. I killed them, under the Dark Lord's orders. Not just them. Every family member you have is either dead or dying. You're next. They're all dead. You are the last McKinnon and soon the name will be... Extinct." He spat the last word. "What a waste. Such talent, such... Purity! We would have accepted you with open arms but no, you had to fight for the losing side. Soon, everyone you love will die. Dorcas Meadowes, she will be taken care of very shortly, James and Lily Potter... They will die... Remus Lupin, the werewolf. He will be killed... Sirius Black. He will die." He said, smirking again. He was playing with her now. "Everyone you love will die." He mocked, in an almost sing-song voice. Marlene McKinnon involuntarily sucked in her breath, meeting his icy glare with one just as, if not more, cold. Her heart seemed to rip in half, over powering the monstrous ball of fear in the out of her stomach for her own safety, at the mention of each name in his threat. Instinct said act, the rage coursing through her veins agreed, and yet in the most critical time something bizarre happened. She felt calm, eerily so, at the thought of dying. It was something she had feared, something she never spoke about, but here, in this moment, she almost welcomed the thought.  
"_Purity_?" she echoed, her voice no higher than if she was talking the weather with a mate. She scoffed, purposefully moving to the base of the stairs. "I'm not afraid of you, Macnair, and if that's what you're trying to accomplish by this drawn out soliloquy, I feel I should give you a tip." She propped her boot up on one of the stairs as if she was planning to ascend them. "I don't respond to idle threats-" Moved her hand to the top of her boot. "Especially from over confident, low talented blokes such as you." She slipped the wand out, turning back to face him. Macnair was already there, wand in hand. He disarmed her quickly and cleanly, sending her wand skidding across the floor.  
"Low-talented?" He mocked, smirking at her. He aimed his wand at her face. "I'm going to kill you. Should I do it now or should I... Play a bit? I have plenty to hate you for. You are pure-blood, yet you fight on the side of the muggles, the mudbloods!" He yelled. He moved closer and smiled at her, his yellow teeth showing. "I could make you beg for your death... It would make no difference to the Dark Lord if you die quickly or slowly..." He whispered. He smiled evilly again. "I think I'll enjoy killing you." Marlene McKinnon finally had to admit that the fear in her chest was becoming a very pressing issue, standing face to face with the wand intended on bringing around her death. She stared down the stick, her heart beating rapidly in her throat, and in that moment she thought of Sirius. How she had left him asleep on the couch, kissed his cheek without waking him, and she regretted it. That revelation, along with the dozen thee faces she would never see again fueled her next move. She glanced up to Macnair's eyes, and with more courage (or maybe stupidity) than she should have held, spit directly in his face.  
"It would take ten more of you to make me beg, and even then I doubt it seriously." Macnair recoiled, but only for a moment. He growled and yelled  
"Crucio!", while aiming directly at her face. Marlene McKinnon felt like someone punched her in the cheek, and judging from how far her body flew, she hadn't discounted the possibility. Gasping for air, the spot on her cheek suddenly erupted in a pain so hot, so intense, she thought surely her body would explode. Pain shot out, all the way to her smallest toe. Against her resolve, her mouth opened and she was sure a blood curdling scream was going to come out. But if didn't, the pain seemed to cut off her airway, and with it her voice. She writhed, gagged, fought back with whatever will she had left, until, what seemed like hours later, it stopped. Her eyes fluttered open, momentarily dazed, but she found her bearings. Then she began to laugh, ironically, as she stared at him sideways from the floor. Macnair towered above her "You enjoy that? You're sick." He spat at her. He growled and said "Would you like another? I'd be only too happy to provide. Of course, I could just kill you now." He said, his voice returning to the sing-song tune. He was ready to kill her and also ready to torture her until she went mental, then kill her. Marlene McKinnon was shaking, every fiber in her body screaming in protest of the curse, and yet she continued to laugh as she looked up at him. They would all be so proud, she thought wryly, of her, and that thought helped.  
"I was merely-" she had to draw a ragged breath. "-amazed that Voldermort sent such a pansy to do a _man's_ job." Macnair growled and sent another Cruciatus Curse at her.  
"Pansy? I'll show you how much of a 'pansy' I am." He yelled, sending curse after curse at her. Marlene McKinnon felt the pain again, the same excruciating variety, but it didn't matter. She may have been writhing, gasping for release, but on the inside she was already dead. She filled her mind, as best she could, with the moments she held closest. Visions of Remus smiling, Lily and James bickering, lovingly so, over breakfast, Dorcas laughing, on the rare occasions she did, and finally, Sirius, his smile, the way his lips melded against hers, the tickle of his hair against her nose, all filled her, and it was enough to keep her pleas at bay. After the third curse subsided, she was no more than a barely breathing heap sprawled on the same floor she had said her first words on. She had no more snarky words, no more brilliant one liners, she only had peace, and again, it was enough. Her blue eyes stayed on him, as much as she wanted to close them, because now the defiance was there, and she knew it was the one thing he couldn't take from her. Macnair growled and said "I'm going to kill you now." He chuckled and stepped back. He took careful aim at her and screamed the words "Avada Kedavra!" At the top of his voice, the green flash emitting from his wand.

Marlene McKinnon saw the light leave his wand, his mouth utter the words, but she didn't hear any of it, only one word filled her ears.  
"_Forever_." And she knew it was true, no matter the fact that she wouldn't see him again, no matter he wouldn't hear her utter the words, in her last moment, Marlene was sure of one thing. _She loved Sirius Black_. And she would until the end of time. That was why Macnair saw her smile, instead of cower in fear, because where he thought love had been the deciding factor in her death, it had actually been the one thing that had saved her long ago, and she knew it then.

Bottom of Form


	2. Remus J Lupin: Man, Not Monster

Remus ran from Hogwarts castle, in the midst of the Battle of Hogwarts. All around him, people were dying and being injured. He ducked under a stunner, seeing it hit a student behind him. He felt a pang of grief, sided with guilt, for the child, though Remus knew it was only a stunner. The child would live, hopefully. It was hard to believe that all the chaos that was surrrounding him, all of the death, was because of one boy. One boy who had changed the very essence of the world he was living in. James and Lily Potter's son, Harry. Remus continued to run through the grounds, occasionally sending a stunner at a Death Eater. No-one paid him much notice as he ran. Soon though, he found himself faced with someone he remembered from a long time ago, in the first war: Dolohov. Remus paused, faced by his old foe. Out came Remus' wand, ready to fight. Dolohov whirled around, pushing his blonde hair from his face. The back of his neck was sticky with sweat and he felt himself lose focus again and again. They had been told this would be an easy fight, a battle against school teachers and a handful of students. The junior fighters had believed it, he had only scoffed. Believers, he had found, were rarely easy to beat. His vision blurred as he barely escaped a hex from one of the children, then he saw clearly once more. Seeing Lupin, he gritted his teeth. "An old acquaintance," he called out coldly, raising his wand. This would be interesting. Remus stared at Dolohov.

"We meet again." He said, voice barely audible above the clamour of battle. Remus gritted his teeth also, trying to quell the fear rapidly rising up inside of him. His knuckles turned white with the amount of force he was holding onto his wand with. He didn't take his eyes from Dolohov, despite the screams coming from nearby. He readied himself to duel, praying to God that he would survive, simply to see his son grow up. Dolohov smirked, an oddly mad laugh escaping his lips. They had met, and fought. It was time for them to determine the winner for good.  
"Indeed. It shan't happen again." He focused, all of his senses on high alert. This was the advantage of a life in isolation; he could see Lupin was distracted, by thoughts of the wife and the son, no doubt. "Your brat will be better off without you, don't you think?" he jibed, sending a nonverbal curse almost immediately after it. Remus J. Lupin dodged the curse, but only just. He growled at him, but offered no reply. Instead, he sent a silent stunner his way, snarling. The man had hit a nerve and Remus didn't like how easily it had happened. The man was good, Remus could tell. He had to pray that he was better. Dolohov deflected the curse, hissing at the strength. He was pleased to see Lupin lose his cool, but emotion made magic stronger, that was a fact even the Dark Lord had yet failed to grasp. Apparating a few yards to reappear just out of his opponent's sight - his one unique move - , he decided this was no child's game and a green flash erupted from his wand, barely missing its target.

Remus gasped and moved quickly. They weren't playing around. Dolohov wanted Remus dead. This shocked him, though he had no idea why. They were in a war, that came naturally. Still, the attempted murder schocked him to a degree. Remus aimed his wand and sent a curse at him, then decided to run. He was not trying to run from Dolohov, simply trying to lure him away from the battle. Remus ran towards the Whomping Willow, though he would keep his distance.

Dolohov snarled, a glare appearing in his eyes. "Coward," he shouted derisively, apparating short distances to keep up with Lupin. He wanted this fight over. He wanted Lupin to die. "Avada," he paused, his voice quiet and cold as stone. This would be the end for him as well, he realised. He had lived years in anticipation of this duel. The end of it would kill him, the man with nothing to live for, in victory or defeat. He shot a binding spell toward his opponent. 21:23

Remus froze on the spot, dropping to the ground. This was it. He was going to die. Dolohov could do anything, he was powerless. Remus closed his eyes and waited for death. He would never see his son or his wife again. His life was over.

Dolohov breathed in sharply, seeing Lupin's will to fight and survive falter. It angered him. He had expected a fight, a real duel, something memorable. Really, it was no different from the others. His movements precise and clinical as though he was putting a dog to sleep, he uttered the curse without haste and killed the werewolf Remus Lupin.

In the last few seconds of his existence, Remus saw images of James, Lily, Marlene, Dorcas, Sirius, Alice, Frank, Fabian, Gideon, Alastor, Albus, Minerva and everyone he cared about. Two images lingered, to the very point of his death: Nymphadora Tonks, his wife and Teddy Lupin, his son. In the minutes after his death, he rejoined all of the people that had died and soon afterwards, his wife joined him. He was at peace, with his friends, for eternity.


End file.
